"Right," Bella agrees, adding a "(voluntary postponement option)" note next to the item. "But having this list is mostly not useful until we have surplus coins in these ranges, which will take until I get into a spectacular accident, or we find Elias's stash and it has a hex in it, or it doesn't have a hex in it and we engineer that level of harm." She says the last with gritted teeth. "Or I chicken out and try to take over the world with squares and occasional pentagons, even though that would be harder and less fun."

"I hope it has a hex in it," says Alice.

"Yes. I also hope that it has a hex in it," Bella says.

"I mean, I can think of lots of ways to get around not having a cage full of rats handy," he says. "But you probably don't wanna do any of 'em."

"No, go ahead and tell me, I might as well try to get used to whatever one of the ideas is best in case there isn't a hex," Bella says.

"...Do you actually want me to sit here listing ways I could hurt you really badly," he says—phrased as a question, but delivered without the intonation that would make it one.

"Start with whatever's tamest, we'll see if I squeak and run away," sighs Bella.

"I am bad at tame," says Alice, inarguably. "Okay, well, first one that comes to mind, I could just get a knife and keep cutting you until you hit the right level of hurt. Which we'd know because you'd be raining hexes instead of pentagons."

"Do you know enough about anatomy to avoid me bleeding out?" Her voice is level, though she doesn't look thrilled about the topic.

"Probably," he says. "Which brings me to option two: fire."

"That one sounds even harder to keep under control," Bella says, scrunching her eyes closed tightly. "I think I can listen to one more possibility and then I want to stop."

"Well, I don't mean set you on fire," he says. "Chemical burns sound any better?"

"Yes, actually," Bella says. "Or maybe extreme cold. Liquid nitrogen or dry ice or something." She manages a very weak smile. "Coin requires pain, not utter terror."

"It's harder to get that stuff, though," he says. "And liquid nitrogen does not hurt as much as a cigarette burn, I'll tell you that right now."

"Sooo we're done talking about hurting you, then," says Alice. "Okay. I bet it is, actually. Wanna go check?"

"Yes, I do," says Bella.

"I was under the impression that Hilary's title was 'housekeeper', not just 'cook', though she'd certainly be worth retaining as the latter - does she keep out of your room or are you just very, very fast?" Bella asks, following.

"She gave up on my room," he says. "The parents let her. Once in a while when my dad wants something to be pissed off about he sticks his head in and yells at me about my floor."

Bella snickers quietly, and trots down the stairs towards the kitchen, sniffing the air for maple-caramel-coconut-butter-cake.

"Yes ma'am!" Bella says smartly.

Bella handles caramel. She stubs her toe once, and her hands are covered with caramel; if a coin appears, Alice can't see where.